Friday, March 19, 2010

A Note on Prejudice

Ursus Maritimus and exhelodrvr,(who speculated about hostility to Israel in the US Navy)Antisemitism is not caused by something like the Liberty Incident. It exists prior to or independently of such an event and then those who express it will latch onto any context or historical incident that is convenient. Very rarely will an adult who feels personally traumatized by such an event react by expressing generalized hostility to a community. Most people who were witnesses to 9-11 are at most conflicted about the role of Islam and are unwilling to express a general hostility to Arabs.